The North
Furthest reaches of the Heartland, far north of the Dominion of Rhineland, consisting mostly of frozen tundra. No official name is given to this region other than 'The North', and is generally considered devided into two categories, The Icefields and The Great Ice Wastes. The Icefields The Southern most part of the North, a small strip of land extending along the entire length of the border of the region. The home of the noble household of Rothschild and their ancestral seat and tens of thousands of years ago, centre of civilisation in Belarum. The region is dominated by icy plains and a few mountain jutting out from the land in a fashion that makes little geographical sense yet are in fact ruins or the once mighty imperial capital of the first empire. While to an outsider the Icefields are an inhospitable and harsh land, to people of the North it is a veritable wonderland, some crops can actually take root, the blizzards tend not to flay ones skin and proper towns can actually be supported. The Icefields hold a smattering of towns and villages, sparse compared to the south yet again, an urban sprawl compared to its sister region. While a much more civilised land, it is still plagued by many terrifying fauna and suffers from raids from the inhabitants of further north. The Great Ice Wastes Above the vast Icefields lies a region that completely dwarves it in size. Here no crops grow, no thaw is ever seen, plains give way to jagged mountains and forsaken valleys and things worse than the living stalk the night. It is the most northerly populated region in the world and indeed ice connect it the the north pole proper, seen as part of the wastes in most eyes. Despite its proximity to the centre of the Dominion, it is one of the few great wild and untamed expanses left in modern Belarum. This s due in part to its size and hostile inhabitants but also there is nothing to be gained from taking it, there is much mineral resources under the snow, ice and rock but the effort of excavating in such conditions while defending from the people of the area would mean more input then output. The region is home to various species and human tribes, fierce barbarians who have raided south for thousands of years. Key Settlements Rivacheg One of the largest towns of the normal human population of the Icefields, built upon atop a hilltop near the border with the Heartlands proper. It has had a long history, beginning as a simple fort built to protect the area from Northern invaders.The town has flourished due to the nearby Rothschild manor, many in the town working for the family. The other main form of employment is military service, every young man joining when they are the age in most cases due to the martial tradition of the region. Recently, during clean-up operations in the wake of the viral bombing in the capital of Ironvale, Adeptus Mechanicus forces sent to oversee the decontamination of the area built a large new church and palace in the town in tribute to Emperor Wilhelm, in addition to other changes such a new housing. The town is also famous for a tiny pub called ‘The Ice Fairy’, reputed to be the finest establishment in the entire Dominion. Ulvholm The Icefields is home to several tribes of northern barbarians who accept the rule of the Dominion and the grace of the Goddess. While each tribe is distinct, with their own settlement, Ulvholm is seen as the capital of these 'savages'. Literally meaning 'Wolf Home', it is built in the rocky cliff face of steep hill, in the middle of a great Ironwood forest. Buildings are hewn from the rock itself, the natural caves in the face of it converted in kennels and stables. Ulvholm's name is derived from the huge population of Isen wolves living there, bred in large numbers by the people of the area. In the tradition of their people, the tribes are governed by a council of venerable elders, the council seat being in ths great anchoring of their culture. The Eyre This city is seen as the last bastion of civilisation of the north, located in the centre of the Ice wastes. Considering the wild and untameable nature of the region, the concept of a Dominion holdout seems impossible yet its saving grace is several unique elements that come into play. First the city is built atop a mountain, far from the greatest peak yet it is still a superb height compared to any other city in existence, the Eyre near impossible for attackers to reach. In addition, the mountain stands alone on a expansive plain, all approaches can be seen. Yet the city is still cut off, miles of hostile territory, impossible to easily traverse on foot. It is thanks to a special breed of animal that the city thrives, the giant eagle. It is said the city was founded when a group of displaced villagers were led there to safety of one of the great creatures who nested upon the mountain and to this day they serve the humans of the mountain. They are to ferry goods, people and resources to and from the Eyre with much greater ease than even a mechanical transport can boast. The eagles are integral to the defence of the city, home to the 1st and 2nd Winged Uhlans regiments, soldiers fighting from the backs of the enormous raptors. The regiments take pride in being part of the army, rather than being forced into navy due to the flying nature of their mounts. Vostroya On an eastern tip of the Icefields lies the largest city of the region, a full fledged hive, the great industrial city of Vostroya. The city is an urban sprawl of miles and miles of factories, made possible due to the sheer amount of regiments it can field. At the start of the Unification War the then head of the Rothschild family, Viscount Tristan Rothschild called on Vostroya, as their liege lord, to take up arms for their Dominion. The council of Boyars, the nobles who governed the city refused to answer the summons, opting instead to reserve their population to work in their factories. They were soon taught what happens to oath breakers, within a few weeks the city was aflame, the Boyars standing vigil over their city, as heads on pikes. As punishment for failing to answer the summons, forever more they would have to send every first-born son to serve in the Dominion's military. Therefore they have the manpower to protect resource gathering operations in the mineral rich Ice wastes, fuelling their industry. The Mechanicum have a heavy presence and very close relationship with the city, it is as close as any urban centre has gotten to the machine cult without being one of their 'Forge Cities'. City of Spears In the west of the Icefields is a great stone arch spawning across a valley between two mountain ranges known as 'The Bow'. It is believed that despite its size it was man made, yet with the passing of time this has become impossible to tell. Yet it is what lies beneath the arch is truly spectacular. The valley is a passage which the north wind passes through the mountains, near constant high winds blowing sheer cold and frost in its wake. Over time huge icecles have on the arch, large as they are many. These have been carved and hollowed into a city by the ice Fairies of the region, known as the city of the spears. Home to the majority of their race, it is overseen by humans to a loose extent yet this age old segregated city is often used as a case study for its policy on Xeno treatment. No other race could inhabit the city, the fairies thriving off the cold. Category:Places